The Choice
by ThiefofSong
Summary: After the Great Battle, the few remaining cats united under one leader and decided that their home could no longer be the lake. Now, generations after their journey to find a new territory, and after many changes to the way the Clan operates, a darkness that these cats have never seen before arises from the shadows of the Twolegplace, threatening to engulf all they've ever known.
1. Prologue

The surface of the water rippled slightly in the breeze, the same breeze that steadily blew clouds over the moon. Bramblestar stood at the edge of the pool, staring down into the crystal blue depths. He fancied that he could see the bottom, but perhaps that was just his imagination. In any case, it wasn't very important, and he turned to the cats behind him, eying them, as always, with an equal mix of sadness and pride. They were the last remaining survivors from the Great Battle. He'd tried to save so many of his friends, those in his clan and not, but in the end, most had died anyway.

Both Onestar and his deputy, Ashfoot, had been killed in the part of the battle that had taken place in WindClan's former territory. However Bramblestar viewed the light brown tabby for the trouble he'd caused ThunderClan, Onestar had gone down like a true warrior, protecting the queens of his Clan with 'the ferocity of a mother protecting her kits,' as survivors put it. Both Blackstar and Mistystar had nearly been killed as well, each barely clinging to their respective last lives. Blackstar had a thick, ragged-looking scar running from below his right ear to the middle of his throat from where he'd been slashed open, bleeding out freely. It'd been touch and go for a while, but Jayfeather had somehow been able to save him, thankfully. Mistystar had suffered a similar injury. Her fur, however, thick as it was, had already begun to grow back and cover it, for which she was thankful; if there was any possibility that she wouldn't have to see it every time she saw her reflection, she wouldn't have to be reminded of the battle.

Few cats of any of the Clans had survived, and they now numbered just about thirty - ten less than ThunderClan's own ranks before everything that had happened. Bramblestar never in his wildest dreams had imagined that one day he'd be leading the remaining cats of the Clans, and he felt the weight of everything - taking care of them, figuring out how to work through all of the differences in how each cat had lived, making sure every cat stayed sane… It was almost too much for him to bear. It'd only been a moon, and already, it'd been the hardest one of his life. He felt blessed by StarClan to at least have Mistystar and Blackstar with him, though, as well as his sister, Tawnypelt. They tried their hardest to make everything a bit easier on him - he knew they did - and always seemed to be the voice of reason in any dispute. When he didn't know what to say, he didn't seem to have to worry; one of them stepped up to speak for him. It was why he'd named all three of them temporary deputy until he truly knew who to choose from this ragtag bunch.

As odd as it sounded, it wasn't a bad idea. He had them each cover a certain area; Blackstar organized hunting parties, and Mistystar made up the border patrols. They'd been living in RiverClan's old camp, patrolling the territory's borders and keeping it safe for a reason. RiverClan was the Clan with territory most like ThunderClan's, albeit with more water. It allowed the WindClan cats easy moor access if they wanted to go hunt rabbits there, like old times, and ShadowClan's cats could go visit their marshes if they so wished. It made the mix of cats happy, and because of that, Bramblestar was happy - as happy as he could be, anyway.

Tawnypelt took charge of the apprentices, making sure that they were all still trained with help from the other warriors, and with Bramblestar overseeing everything that went on during the day, sometimes he almost forgot to worry about the future, about choosing a permanent deputy, anything. Then again, was that not why he'd brought the entire Clan to the Moonpool? _Because_ he was worried?

With a slight shake of his head, as if to clear his thoughts, the brown tabby began to speak.

"My warriors," He mewed gently, his claws sheathing and unsheathing with each breath, showcasing his unease, "Tonight, I will speak with our ancestors to see if they have any insight on what we must do. I know that… I know that some of you wish to leave, for even being here causes you great pain. I don't know if that is the right decision for all of us, though. Hopefully, StarClan will let me know. If… If you want to accompany me, if only to see your families, I will not stop you. If I ask something of them, though, you must let them answer. Is that clear?"

Around him, the cats nodded their consent, and some moved through the crowd to encircle the Moonpool. Among them, Tawnypelt and Jayfeather, who came to curl up on either side of him as he himself took his place. Bramblestar looked sadly upon his sister; he'd been lucky to not lose his kits - for he still thought of Lionblaze, Hollyleaf and Jayfeather as his - while she'd lost Tigerheart and Rowanclaw. They weren't even sure if Dawnpelt was going to live much longer; though young, the cream-furred she-cat's wounds had healed poorly, and despite Jayfeather's best attempts to keep her healthy, she was just the opposite. She always seemed to be sick, and even now, she sat a fair distance from her clanmates to keep from spreading whatever she had.

"Hey," Bramblestar meowed, touching her ear with the tip of his tail. She glanced at him morosely, and her eyes seemed to stare through him. How much she'd changed from the upbeat young she-cat from the journey to find the lake… It was terrifying. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I promise it'll be alright."

"Yeah, when mice fly." She muttered, but returned his attempt to comfort her with a light, nearly inaudible purr.

With a sigh, the brown tabby turned his head back to the water before him. Breathing in deeply, he leaned down to lap up a few cold, crystal clear drops before he could think much more about it. Within a few quick, silent heartbeats, he was asleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Bramblestar awoke to the sound of voices murmuring close to where he rested. Opening his amber eyes, he suddenly let out a startled yowl. In his face was a slender, pale ginger tabby she-cat, her warm yellow eyes gleaming in amusement. He leaped to his paws, scowling down at the smaller cat.

"Mother, that's not very funny." He meowed, sounding rather cross. Her whiskers twitched in amusement, and she tossed her head to the side with more sass than needed.

"It was." Goldenflower snapped, though she licked his cheek affectionately. "I've missed you, my son."

"It's only been a moon since I was last here." Though his words were meant to sound a bit sarcastic, he nuzzled her, his heart hurting; he didn't want to leave her again.

"I know, but I want to be there for you, like your sister is." She murmured, running her tail down his side. "I'm so proud of you, though, Bramblestar. You've come so far, and proven so many cats wrong. They always thought you'd be the next Tigerstar, because you're his son, but… They couldn't be more wrong."

The brown tabby looked mischievous then, and crouched, wriggling his haunches. "Who knows? Maybe I am."

"Leap at me and I shred your ears." Goldenflower said, rolling her eyes with a faint chuckle. "How you made it to leader I have no clue."

They shared a moment of peaceful silence before he remembered just _why_ he was here.

"Mother, you must know I'm here for a reason, not just to chat." Bramblestar meowed, sheathing and unsheathing his claws, his fur bristling with unease.

"Yes, I do. I just want our time together to go on forever. It's not every day that I get to see you." She stood, flicking her tail as a signal to follow her. The tom got to his feet, hurrying after her. Around him, his clanmates had awoken after also taking a drink from the Moonpool, and _mrowws_ of surprise echoed through the clearing as they recognized family and friends among the starry cats that had come with Goldenflower to welcome them. So many of them were ones who'd died in the Great Battle, and after awhile, Bramblestar had to look away.

"Tell me," the pale ginger tabby murmured, pushing her way through the bracken at the edge of the clearing; she held it back so that he could pass through, and then continued on at his side. "What do you think is best for your cats? I know that you think that you should not be the one to decide what these cats should do but… You must let yourself have _some _say. You're the leader, and as such, you have the right to put in your thoughts as well! Do not hold back."

"I try not to! It's not as simple as that, though. I don't know what to do; I don't want to leave, but at the same time, I cannot think of living here another day. These cats don't want to stay here, either, because it hurts them. In every step they take, they remember those that fell in the battle, those that had their throats ripped out, those who were murdered because those evil, fox-hearted cats could not except the fact that what they were doing was _wrong_!

"I don't think that it's right to continuously make them go through that, so I think it is best to go, yes, but is that really the _best_ thing to do? Tell me, mother!" Bramblestar's voice had risen, so much that he was almost yowling. However, he caught his mistake, noticing how she'd begun to wince at his words, and he lowered his voice to a near whisper. "Is it? I don't know anymore. I've tried to do the best I can, but I don't think that that is good enough."

His mind was a whirl of pain and confusion; he didn't want to leave the place where he'd watched over his Clan for seasons as Firestar's deputy, where he'd watched kits grow into apprentices and apprentices become warriors, where he'd watched _his _kits grow into two fine warriors and one fine medicine cat. As he'd said to Goldenflower, he didn't want to stay, either, because just like every other cat, he was always reminded in his nightmares of those that had died. It wasn't all _about_ him, though, he knew; it was about what his Clan needed, what _they_ wanted, _not _what he wanted and needed.

"You know the answer in your heart, my son, but we will help. We can tell you what we know."

Together, almost as though they were one entity, they leaped over a fallen tree and skirted a pile of large boulders where some of the older StarClan cats rested. They watched the pair fondly as they passed, waving their tails in greeting. Bramblestar nodded his head, not really knowing them but wanting to be kind all the same. He stuck close to his mother's side as she led him through the forest - or, more rather, as she led _them_ through the forest, for he heard some of his clanmates following them through the brush. He didn't mind, really - in fact, he was glad that some of them had come. Their presence put him a bit more at ease, knowing that they cared about the future of the cats around them. Bramblestar had been worried that, being from different Clans, some of the them would clash, but surprisingly, with all that had happened, they'd all come together and managed to put aside their differences in order to survive. It served to make the tom prouder of how far they'd come.

They reached another clearing soon after where Goldenflower finally stopped, padding to it's center. She sat primly, her tail curled over her paws and her ears pricked, waiting. Bramblestar's cats spread out around them, with their StarClan friends and kin going to stand at the other side, across from them. They all regarded him with an equal amount of respect, it seemed, though some were curious; they must not have known much about his indecision.

Tawnypelt slipped over to his side, her eyes widening at the sight of their mother. They shared warm words and affectionate nuzzles, as Bramblestar and her had, and he relished his sister's happiness; it was rare, as of late, for obvious reasons. After that, they settled down, and Bramblestar studied the current setting; trees rose up on all sides, encircling them in a mixture of pine, oak, and birch. Everywhere he looked, starlight seemed to hang in the air like fog, curling around the trunks of the trees like beckoning tails. The sky was dark and cloudless, filled only with the strange mist, swirling and dancing with the breeze. It was oddly beautiful, and Bramblestar, so enraptured by it, nearly didn't notice that another group of cats had joined them.

His heart leaped into his throat as he recognized the two that were leading the group.

"Welcome back, young one." The first rumbled, her voice washing over him like a calm, reassuring wave. Her blue-gray fur appeared neatly groomed, as though she'd spent a lot of time preparing for this meeting. Her companion, a bright ginger tabby tom with eyes as green as leaves in Green-Leaf, nodded at him.

"I'm happy to see you." He purred.

"Bluestar, Firestar… I'm happy to see you, too." Though their words had held nothing true happiness at the sight of him, Bramblestar could detect hints of worry and fear within their eyes.

"You've come to discuss with us whether or not you should take your cats and leave the forest." This was stated, not asked, by Bluestar, whose tail flicked from side to side, a clear sign of her unease.

"Yes," He replied, hoping he didn't betray too much of his uncertainty. "I, like the rest of my cats, have a hard time remaining there, but to leave… I just don't know if it's right. I'm worried that the Clan will not survive, and that the history of the Clans will forever be forgotten."

Bluestar and Firestar looked at each other, sharing an identical look of concern. Bluestar was the one to speak, however.

"Bramblestar, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. I cannot say it any simpler than that." She meowed, her whiskers twitching. "What I can say, though, is that I don't believe that the Clans' history is done just yet. Even if the Clan isn't really a Clan in the future, our blood will still run deep in the veins of our descendents, and stories will be passed on from mother to kit, and from that kit to it's own kits, when it has it's own litters. We cannot say whether or not your Clan will be disbanded in the future - we just don't know, yet - but, should it, there is always a chance that one cat will realize that the glory of it _can_ be reborn!"

"What Bluestar says is the truth. I believe that if you try, friend, you will succeed. If you want to leave, go. Don't do something that will make you unhappy."

"So do you mean I should…?" The brown tabby tom's amber eyes shone with confusion. Bluestar hissed in exasperation.

"For StarClan's _sake,_ yes! If it's what you believe to be right, go! You're acting like a stupid kit."

Firestar nodded along with her words. "Indecision is not a good thing. Trust your first instincts and go with them. Try not to have fear!"

Bramblestar flattened his ears against his skull, slightly embarrassed, and sighed. "Alright. I'll do it. StarClan… Is it going to be following us?"

A softer expression returned to Bluestar's face, something like eagerness and curiosity within it. "Yes. We're always going to be with you, Bramblestar. Do not forget us and what the Clans stood for and we will never be parted."

He took in the sight of his former clanmates, his friends, his mentor, and a cold, quiet resolve settled in his mind. He would not fail them. No matter what, he'd survive, and with him, his living clanmates. He'd make sure of it.


	2. Chapter 1 - Reluctant Agreement

**AN; Hey guys. ;u; I forgot to introduce myself in the prologue, I think. I'm ThiefofSong, but you can call me Kim, Song, or TOS as well. I'm sixteen going on seventeen in a few months, and I spend my time writing and drawing and doing junk like that. This is probably the first fanfic I've posted anywhere, so it's probably not that great, and I don't really have anyone to check over the writing that can point out certain grammar errors, so please, let me know if you see something. Also, um... if it's not too much I'd like a review or two, but you don't have to do that. I don't like asking stuff like that, but maybe it'd motivate me more to see people like the story. ;_;  
Thank you! uwu  
-Song**

"What happened to him, Tawny?" A tiny voice cried, shrill and high.

A quick, light chuckle escaped a tortoiseshell she-cat. Her amber eyes were narrowed, though not in annoyance or anger; rather, bright sunshine shone down into her face, warming it. It was relaxing, and she very rarely got to relax. She wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible. Indeed, her moment of peaceful bliss was about to be shattered due to the fact that she was due to go hunting. Getting to her paws and stretching each leg slowly, Tawny turned to look on her small audience with affection.

There were three kits sitting on the sandy ground, their wide eyes pleading. They loved when Tawny stopped to play with them or tell them stories, especially Honey. Her brown eyes, set into a face of honey brown fur, were almost too much and were nearly too difficult to resist. Her brother, Hawk, a big grayish-brown tabby with pale, yellow green eyes, didn't care as much for the stories. He wanted to become a great fighter and hunter, like their ancestors, and preferred to play at doing both. Sparrow, their sister, was content to simply be with other cats.

"That is a story for another time, kits." Tawny meowed, giving them all a quick lick on the head. "Go back to your mother now. Maybe later tonight when I get back from hunting we can practice some methods of catching mice."

The three kits let out an excited squeal before turning away, batting at each other as the raced back toward the den that served as the nursery in camp. All pregnant she-cats and those with kits normally stayed there so that, should something dangerous come near, the other cats could easily protect them.. Tawny watched the little cats go, envying them as their mother, Rose, greeted them warmly, purring as they rubbed themselves against her legs.

She hadn't known her mother, or her father, for that matter. From what Ash, her adopted mother, said, the both of them had died fighting three fierce, bloody-thirsty dogs that had invaded the forest. Ash had been friends with them, and supposedly, she'd found Tawny along with her siblings in their nest farther out in the woods. One of them, who Ash said was named Minnow, had already been killed by the dogs. The other, named Petal, been dying. She'd only been able to save her.

Sometimes, though, despite her better judgment - Ash would never lie to her, she knew - Tawny found herself doubting the dark gray she-cat. Every time she spoke of the time she'd found her, Tawny noticed the fur on the back of her neck bristling a bit, the nervous gleam in her eyes. What reason did she really have to be nervous? Was she afraid that Tawny would intentionally go into Twolegplace to find the dogs that'd killed her parents? She wasn't the smartest cat by any means, but that was one thing she wasn't stupid enough to attempt.

Was she hiding something? Why, though? She didn't think there was anything wrong with the situation. Her parents and her sisters had died, but she'd lived because Ash had saved her. That was all there was to it… Wasn't it?

"Tawny!" A light, cheery voice called. "Oh, Tawwwnyyy!"

With a quick shake of her head, Tawny cleared her thoughts. She had more important things to worry about. There'd be time to worry about Ash later. Right now, Cooper, Lint and Willow needed her.

"Coming!" She called, sauntering across the clearing the opposite direction of the kits and Rose. Glancing around, she spotted them at the other end, near the entrance of camp. The camp itself was situated in a wide, deep - nearly sixty tail-lengths across, with walls four to six cats high - gully that had been a riverbed a long, long time ago. Little caves branched off of it which they used for dens. The back end of camp was a tumble of rocks that had brambles spreading across them steadily. Really, there were brambles that surrounded all edges off camp, including the entrance, except for a small tunnel that the cats had had to make themselves to get through. It was worth it for the brambles to be there. In fact, it had deterred many a fox from getting in because they were too afraid of getting thorns in their pretty little paws, the cowards.

That was alright, though, Tawny thought. The farther away the red-furred beasts stayed, the safer she and her mother's followers would be!

As she passed them, Tawny observed her friends and family from afar. They were in groups that were scattered across the camp, talking amongst themselves or eating freshly caught prey. Everyone seemed calm, for the most part. She could rest easy in leaving them alone for now.

"Let's go," She said, flicking her tail over Lint's nose. The small she-cat sneezed, and the others snickered. She simply glared at Tawny, her eyes narrowed.

"Must you do things like that?" She asked, getting to her paws and stretching.

"Chill out, Lint. She's only kidding." Willow said before Tawny could even reply. "You know that's what she does a lot."

"Yeah, of course… She never does _anything_ wrong, does she?" The orange tabby mewed crossly, but her eyes no longer held the same hardness they had when she was really angry.

"No, I don't. That's the great thing _about _being me." Tawny said, though her voice was full of obvious sarcasm. As she turned to pad toward the camp entrance, a small white and gray she-cat appeared in front of her, big green eyes stretched wide open.

"Tawny!" She cried, looking upon the larger cat warmly.

This was Lilac, Tawny's little sister. Not by blood, but by bond. She was Ash's biological daughter, sister to Nettle, her son. Raised beside Tawny as a sibling, they were extremely close, and Tawny tended to be extremely protective of her.

"May I come with you?" Lilac asked, her mew sweet and gentle as always. "I really want to learn more about what Cooper was teaching me about the other day. You know, techniques for hunting birds and other stuff that might get away quicker than, say, a mouse."

Tawny glanced at the young black and white tom cat, noticing how his eyes softened slightly as he looked at her, the longing within them. It wasn't hard to see how he felt about her sister, and really, it was not a secret to anyone - except Lilac herself, of course. She was as daft as a mouse, sometimes, and Tawny often wanted to yowl to the skies from sheer frustration.

Most she-cats wouldn't want their best friends to be in love with their younger sister. Tawny was the opposite; she knew that Cooper, as excited and goofy as he could be sometimes, was also strong, caring, and equally as sweet as Lilac herself. She knew, deep down, that he would never let her get hurt, and so she supported his pining for her.

An idea formed in her mind then, and wish a mischievous glance at Cooper, she nodded.

"Of course you can! Except, if it was _Cooper_ teaching you, maybe you two ought to go off by yourselves so he can focus on you? You won't have the three of us distracting you or anything, right, girls?" The amusement in Lint and Willow's eyes didn't vanish as they nodded vigorously in agreement.

Cooper's yellow eyes widened in surprise first, and then in fear.

"W-what?" He stuttered, his tail swishing back and forth, stirring up a cloud of dust. "What are you getting at,Tawny?"

"Oh, you know, just that it'd be easier for Lilac to learn with just you." She said, raising a paw to nudge prod his shoulder with. "Come on, you have to agree with that logic, Cooper."

Uncertainty clouded his features, and for a moment Tawny believed he'd say no. Then, to her relief, he nodded.

"Yes, I suppose that is true… Let's go, Lilac." He meowed, not looking her straight in the eye anymore as he spoke. He flicked his tail at her sister and then turned, darting out of camp without another word. With a confused glance at Tawny, Lilac followed, her light gray tail-tip vanishing into the shadows of the forest.

"Come on, girls. We should go, too." Tawny said, and with whiskers twitching, she padded out of camp as well, flanked by Lint and Willow.


	3. Chapter 2 - The Hunt

**A/N: Hello again! uwu  
Time to answer my first review question...  
_Emjwarriorcatz -_ **_The story is set, as the summary says, 'several generations' after Bramblestar's ragtag bunch leaves the lake. We're talking about many, many years. Considering wild cats don't live exceptionally long lives due to the elements and diseases and stuff like that - the more common age is about five years, but some live for 8 and more! - I'm going to say it's been about twenty years. They're still going strong because there's a Twolegplace nearby - which will come into the story soon - that is pretty large and has many house cats and feral cats that have over the years come into Tawny's group and become little 'warriors' themselves! Also, of course there's are the occasional traveling cats that come along as well, seeing as feral cats are known to travel long distances at times! _

**Onto the story!**

* * *

What_ a stupid little creature,_ she thought to herself, readying her hind legs to pounce. Most birds would have known she was there by now, but this one? It had no clue. Within another moment, she sprang, her paws slamming it down into the leaves on the forest floor just as it took off. She ended it's life with a quick, clean nip to the back of it's neck.

Tawny turned at the sound of approaching pawsteps, flicking her ears in greeting. Lint and Willow both looked down at the bird, seemingly wary of it.

"It was awfully… Well, unaware, right?" Willow meowed, wrinkling her nose as she came forward. She and Lint had watched the entire thing and were rather confused by the bird's unresponsiveness.

"It was strange, that's what she's trying to say." Lint added, bending down to sniff it to check for any scents of sickness.

"If you looked closely, you would see it was old." Tawny replied, snorting at the two she-cats. She ran her paw lightly down the wing they could see. "See? Look at it's feathers. They're a bit frayed and you can tell it doesn't take good care of itself, not like it use to. Plus, look what it was eating."

The she-cats did as they were told, with Lint gasping in surprise. A yellow flower lay a tail-length away, some of it's seeds strewn across the ground. "Poppy seeds! Why would it be eating those?"

Willow cocked her head to the side, appearing deep in thought. "Perhaps it was _very _old, and it knew it was going to die. It could have wanted to do so peacefully."

Tawny nodded slowly. "Or perhaps it was hurting and needed relief."

Lint bowed her head slightly, looking sadly upon the bird. "I feel a little bad now, you know? I mean, we have to eat, but we respect our elders. This little guy was like the equivalent of our own elders."

"Well, at least it's not going to be torn apart by some ungrateful creature. It's going to support the lives of other animals, and that's what matters. I mean, if I were a bird, if I died, I'd want to give live to another animal, not just be torn up for sport." Tawny said, pressing against her friend's soft ginger fur.

"I agree with Tawny," Willow mewed, nuzzling the smaller cat. After a few moments, they hid the bird and continued on with their hunt, though Lint still snuck gloomy glances behind her every so often.

A sound in the undergrowth ahead was caught by Willow first, who gently nudged Lint's shoulder with her own. Using her tail, she motioned toward the source of the noise, and Lint opened her mouth, allowing it's scent to wash over her glands.

"Smells like mouse," She whispered, licking her lips. Mouse, Tawny knew, was one of Lint's favorites. _Maybe it'd get her mind off the bird if she went after it herself?_ She wondered, craning her neck so that she could see a bit better. Just barely, she saw the mouse's ears and part of it's head above a tree root. After a second, it dipped back down to probably snatch up another seed, vanishing. Then it reappeared, scurrying from it's hiding place and moving just a tad closer to them.

"You should catch it, Lint!" Willow exclaimed softly, as though reading Tawny's mind. _Thank you, Willow!_

"Alright," She whispered back, lowering herself into the standard hunting crouch. Her tail is low to the ground, but not so low that it brushes the leaves, and her belly is just the same. After waiting for the mouse to turn it's back on them, she moved forward with the practiced movement of an experienced huntress, and Tawny found that she was proud of her friend. She'd come a long way from the clumsy she-kit that she'd grown up with. Though she still had her quirks - like the occasional sadness at killing an elderly prey animal - she really was one of the better hunters in the group. It made her happy to see the she-cat's progress.

Beside her, Willow kneaded the ground with her paws, careful to not crunch any leaves under her toes. Her eagerness to see Lint make the kill was evident in how her eyes gleamed. Tawny wanted to chuckle at her. Willow always was the more excitable one of their little trio, and when they were young, she always insisted that they play-fight in very specific ways to make it more fun. It didn't really make a difference to her, or to Lint, but they never told Willow that. As long as they all had fun, it didn't matter.

Turning her gaze back to Lint, Tawny realized she was within striking distance. She wriggled her haunches, and then leaped forward. It heard her just in time, streaking under her lithe frame - towards them. Tawny's instincts kicked in then, and she pushed everything out of her mind as she herself shot out of their hiding place. Lint had taken a tumble and was scrambling back to her paws, leaves and dust sticking to her pelt. She was fine. _Focus on the prey. _

It was right in front of her now, it's little eyes wide in terror. It tried to dart past her but she was too quick, her right paw lashing out at the last second. Her claws hooked into it's side and she drew it back towards her, swiftly dealing it a killing blow. Tawny sat, breathing hard, glancing up at Lint, who looked ashamed of herself.

"I'm so sorry, Tawny! I guess I misjudged the jump." She mewed, voice low.

"It was just a spot of bad luck, Lint. Don't worry!" Tawny said, hoping the look of warmth she gave her would cheer her up a bit. The ginger she-cat perked up a bit, but she still looked a little dejected.

"Come on, dear." Tawny murmured after the silence that had settled between them became uncomfortable. "Let's keep hunting! I know you'll catch something. Don't get yourself down."

Lint nodded, and after hiding the mouse, the she-cats continued on with their hunt.

Willow was unable to catch the next bird they saw as she accidentally stepped on a twig, causing it to snap. The bird was gone before she even took another step, but the proud she-cat hadn't let it bother her. She made up for her miss by skillfully catching another mouse and also a shrew. Both pieces were nice and plump and would surely feed Rose and her three kits.

Lint, determined to show she wasn't a pathetic excuse for a hunter, caught the next three pieces of fresh-kill. The first was a small blackbird, the second another shrew, and the third a large squirrel. The squirrel Tawny and Willow had helped her catch, slipping carefully around it so that it couldn't get away and driving it straight toward Lint so that she could pounce on it. It noticeably made the she-cat happier, and she seemed a lot more cheerful as Tawny scented the air for something to catch herself.

It came in the form of another bird. It was on the smaller side, but she knew it was enough to make a decent meal for a tiny cat, or at least a snack for a larger one. It several tail-lengths ahead of them, and quickly she hushed her friends and dropped down into the hunter's crouch. Her paws ghosted over the ground, silent, never making a sound as she approached. The bird's head lifted anyway, and she froze. It'd heard her somehow, she figured. She was sure she'd been as quiet as possible, and she was still far enough off that it shouldn't have noted her presence! However, instead of furiously flapping it's wings and fleeing the scene, it simply went on with pecking at the ground, cracking open the seeds it's little beak sought out.

_Good, _she thought, pressing onward, now more uneasy than before. What if it heard her before she got into range? Or it looked up again and saw her?

It wasn't Tawny that alerted it however; a lean black and white shape crashed through the bushes ahead of her, scaring the bird off. She didn't realize what - or who - it was at first as it tripped and fell to the ground in much the same way Lint had, but as it picked itself up off of the forest floor, a cold feeling settled in her belly, chilling her straight to the bone.

It was Cooper.

He hurried toward her with a frantic look in his eyes, but Tawny tried to make herself believe that nothing was wrong, that the crimson color staining his chest, legs and paws wasn't blood.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, standing as he reached her. "You made me lo-"

"We don't have _time _to worry about me messing up your stupid hunt!" He spat, the ferocity in his voice something she'd never heard coming from him. It made what she knew had happened that much worse.

"What happened, Cooper? And don't skimp on the details."

"I… I don't know exactly, but she wanted to split up to hunt because she wanted to try out what I'd shown her, and while I was going after this rabbit, I heard her scream." His yellow eyes dulled, and he seemed far off, as though reliving the memory. The only emotion Tawny saw now was fear, a. "She was being hurt. I just… I ran. I ran as fast as I've ever run because I had to get to her. I don't know how long it took to get there. It felt like moons to me, though. It didn't matter, though, because when I got there, whatever was hurting her was gone. The clearing stunk strongly of fox, though, so I bet you can guess what happened."

Tawny nodded, horrified, and though she tried to move, her paws seemed frozen to the ground.

_Not Lilac, not Lilac,_ she repeated in her mind over and over, unable to fathom what he was saying. Her dear little sister, the bright young she-cat who had so much promise and was determined to be just as amazing as she claimed her sister was. Her sister, so sweet and kind and loving...

"And Tawny…" Cooper trailed off for a moment, his bloodied paws tearing at the grass under them. "You need to go see her immediately. I… She's in really bad shape. I'm no medicine cat, but… She might be dying."


	4. Chapter 3 - Pain

**AN: Double update. Heck yes.**

The world seemed to drop out from beneath her, and for a moment, all Tawny could see were faint shapes cloaked in darkness. Everything seemed to blur and sway around her, and she thought she was going to be sick.

_Not Lilac…_

Her chest ached painfully as the thought of losing the little she-cat washed over her like a wave. In the blink of an eye, she could be gone, and she wouldn't get to say good bye.

"Tawny… You should go." Lint said, coming to stand at her side. Her tail rested gently on Tawny's shoulder, a sign of comfort, and it was then that she realized she _should _be. What in the name of the Ancestors was she doing, standing there like a foolish kitten? Her head snapped up, and she looked at Cooper with determination in her eyes.

"I will. I will go and see her. Cooper, I know you care about her, I do, but I need you to go and find the clearing where you found the fox scent. Track it, find it, and drive it out, or if you get the chance… Kill it. I'll send out cats to get the fresh-kill we caught." She paused for just a heartbeat, and then whispered, "Go."

With that, she whirled around and darted through the wood, not waiting for a response. Her blood pounded in her ears, and with every step, she wondered fearfully if she was already too late. All of the bad thoughts she could muster were in her mind, swirling around and all combining into the same horrid thought;

_She's going to be dead when I get there._

Normally, due to her small size, it was difficult to leap across the tree that the cats used as a landmark for being near the camp. However, she was afraid, and she wasn't about to let any obstacles get in the way of her getting to her sister. So, when she finally rounded the big bramble bush and saw the fallen tree come into view, she ran faster. Probably executing the biggest leap she'd ever attempted, she bunched her muscles and went for it. She figured her paws would graze it's rough surface, but somehow, to her glee, she managed to clear it with space between her and it.

She landed on the other side without falling, but she did stumble. Quickly, Tawny righted herself and continued running.

_I must make it,_ she thought, not stopping as she took a shortcut and crashed through a line of bushes just as Cooper had. Leaves fluttered to the ground behind her as she ran, and Tawny realized she probably looked worse for wear at the moment. She didn't care, though. _Let them think badly of me,_ she told herself firmly. _What they say means nothing right now. Only Lilac matters._

Just as she uttered those last words to herself, she made it to the thorn tunnel that was the camp's entrance. Tawny hurried through as fast as she could, wincing as the needle-sharp points dug at her pelt painfully. She burst into the clearing and was immediately intercepted by her mother.

"Tawny-" Ash tried to mew, her voice gentle and somehow calm in the face of what was happening.

"Where is she?" Tawny hissed, not meaning to sound so rude but unable to keep herself in check. Her emotions were running rampant, and it was a wonder she wasn't shoving the older gray she-cat. Behind her, her group-mates watched the exchange sadly. Some had their heads bowed, as though paying their respects to the dead. "Ash, _where is she?!_"

Her mother's golden eyes looked her over, concern clouding her features. "She's in the medicine cat's den with Mallow. Tawny, you need to let her work, though. Mallow is doing what she can. She thinks she can save her, but she must not be disturbed."

Anger replaced whatever she was thinking about then, and she found herself shoving her muzzle close to her mother's. The mottle dark gray and silver she-cat didn't bat a whisker at her. "You will not tell me that I cannot see my-"

"I _will_ because I am your _mother_. I don't care how old you are, Tawny, you will listen to me. I am the leader of this group, and Mallow is the medicine cat. If she needs time to work, you will _GIVE it to her._ Now hush and do something else before I have to punish you and treat you like a kit." The anger that was reflected in those golden eyes extinguished whatever she was feeling, and Tawny did indeed feel like a kit. A stupid, pathetic little kit.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I… I sent Willow, Lint and Cooper after what Cooper says attacked her. A fox." She said, not looking her straight in the eye. She couldn't, not after being so mean to the cat that would give up everything for her because she loved her. "I told them that I'd send cats out to get the prey we caught. Shall I send cats to help them, too?"

Ash tilted her head to the side, thinking for a moment, and then her eyes softened and she nodded. "Yes. Yes, that will be fine, my daughter. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I know you're worried for her. You must remember to be strong, though. She'll need you when she makes it through this." _Not if she makes it; when. Does Mother really believe she'll make it, or is she saying that just for my benefit?_

"Alright." Taking a deep breath, Tawny slipped around her mother to go form groups to do as she'd said. As she passed, Ash very lightly pressed her pelt against her own, rubbing against her, as though saying '_All will be well.'_

_I hope so,_ Tawny thought, gazing around at the cats gathered. Her eyes settled on Lily. Though mostly white with a single dark gray patch on her head, Lily was an excellent tracker and made up for not being able to blend in with her surroundings well to hunt with the speed of a snake's strike. She was small and sometimes flighty, but she was a bright young she-cat, determined to please as much as she could, and Tawny trusted her.

"Lily, come here, please." She meowed, beckoning her with her tail. The white she-cat bounded forward, her green eyes eager.

"What do you need, Tawny?" She asked, ready to serve.

"Take Duke, Trent and Alb and go find Cooper, Lint and Willow. They're going to need help if they find the fox that attacked Lilac."

Fear was evident on her face, but to Tawny's surprise, Lily only nodded. "Will do. Don't worry. We'll find it."

"Thank you." She whispered, then turned to the other cats as Lily rounded up her group. They seemed to be watching her warily, expecting her to snap at them like she had Ash, so she approached them slowly. "I need three or four of you to go get the prey we caught while we were all out. Any volunteers?"

At first, no cat spoke. Then, hesitantly, four of them stepped forward; Toby, Rose's mate, Glenn, Maggie, and Eagle. Toby was one jokesters within their group, always making some sort of wisecrack, but he wasn't at all a bad cat. On the contrary, in serious situations like this, he seemed much older and wiser than most cats believed he was. Glenn and Maggie, mates themselves, didn't like to be separated, and while they were good hunters and alright fighters apart, they were incredible together. Tawny knew the foursome would be safe with them around especially. Eagle was somewhat of an oddity. He was one of the medium-sized toms in their ranks, not large but not small. He was rather quiet, only voicing his opinion when he thought it was really important. He preferred doing his hunting alone, and for him to offer to do something with others was strange. However, Tawny did respect him quite a bit, for he was rather intelligent, and so she didn't say anything about it.

"You four?" She asked, and when they all nodded, she added, "We took the trail used closest to camp, the one that's just beyond the fallen tree. Should be all there. Make sure to look for where Lilac and Cooper hunted, too." As they turned to pad out of camp, a voice called her name, and Tawny realized it was Mallow.

She whirled around, padding quickly to her den. The light brown tabby she-cat looked somewhat frazzled, but when she spoke, there was hope in her voice.

"I think she's going to make it, Tawny. It'll be a bit touch and go for the next day or two, and she's more or less in the paws of our ancestors now, but… I think she'll be able to beat this."

She nearly let out a yowl of excitement, but gasps erupting from all sides of the clearing made her turn. _I don't want to be distracted now! I need to see Lilac!_

Lint, Willow and Cooper had returned, and none of them were marked up with signs of a fight. They were breathless, as though they'd run all the way from where'd them come from. Cooper stepped forward first as Tawny came to join her mother in front of them.

"Cooper?" Ash murmured, cocking her head to the side. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"There was no fox," He exclaimed, his voice cracking. Lint nudged her way ahead of him, and as Tawny saw her eyes, she knew something was terribly, terribly wrong.

******"****We went to the clearing where Cooper found Lilac." She said, her voice little more than a whisper. "There was fox scent, yes, and the smell of blood was nearly overpowering, but I… I smelled it first. He didn't at first because he was so focused on Lilac and getting her home, but… As I scented different areas, I realized the scent wasn't purely fox. It was heavily covered, but… Tawny, Lilac was attacked by cats. Several of them."**


End file.
